A week after French aircraft rushed to the aid of a defeated and demoralised Malian army, French ground forces have begun fighting alongside the Malian army in Diabaly, a town 350 km north of capital Bamako.

Since last year, northern Mali has been overrun by Islamist rebels organised under the banners of the Ansar Dine, the Movement for Jihad in West Africa (MUJAO) and al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM).

Last Friday, France sent in jets, helicopter gunships, and special forces to Central Mali as Islamist rebels advanced till 50 km from a major military base in Sevare, and captured the town of Konna. Since then, France has deployed 2,500 troops in its former colony and bombed targets as far north as Gao and Timbuktu, even as analysts warned of a prolonged and difficult mission. The Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) has promised about 3,000 troops, expected to arrive by the weekend.

The fighting has proved hard, and progress slow. Over the weekend, the rebels opened a second front in Diabaly ...

Hilarious! All kidding aside this action caused the hostage situation in Algiers. I know people are picking on the French but it is nice that we are getting help from allies in going after extremism. 4 African countries are sending troops as well. Algiers allowed air space to be used which is being used as an excuse to take hostages.

Majority of hostages are Dutch. Heard 3 US citizens. I do not know who will be on point but I would expect an assault in a couple of weeks without a resolution.

As I read the article, the French went in to the aid of the Mali Army and is fighting alongside it. Thus, one assumes, they were invited in to help the government forces against the rebels. That’s not an invasion.

Mali was a French colony until IIRC @ 1960 or so. So likely one of the French Speaking, probably Catholic-leaning countries in Africa that’s not happy with the Muslim rebels. It’s one thing to have them in Paris or Marseille, but Bamako?

I think this will be like the French war in Algeria....they will torture everyone they can, destroy all possible coalition movements and then bug out when the French Gubermint loses it’s nerve, has another scandal and/or turns over leadership to another scum bucket.

Um. These are not regular continental troops. They are French Foreign Legion. Very tough hombres and their rules of engagement are very loose indeed. Watch the body count from this point on; going to be a lot of dead muzzies soon.

34
posted on 01/17/2013 11:28:29 AM PST
by Jimmy Valentine
(DemocRATS - when they speak, they lie; when they are silent, they are stealing the American Dream)

Hmmm ... what was it that we did, again??? Oh, yes ... we abandoned and betrayed our allies ... An act for which I will NEVER forgive the demonicRat Party.

WE have to guard against any more of these quagmires, especially now that we have rules of engagement that handicap our forces. We now have Generals who will implement these PC rules of engagement to the detriment of our fighting soldiers. - Tom

I agree with that ... One can argue that we had a compelling interest in Viet Nam. Indeed, I have made that argument. Much of the politics involved, however, was dreadful.

I don't see a compelling interest in Mali; and even if we did have one, fighting a war without fighting to WIN is morally reprehensible. IMO. The current ROE, under the current feckless, antiAmerican, demonicRat regime is certainly NOT fighting to win.

39
posted on 01/17/2013 1:12:44 PM PST
by ArrogantBustard
(Western Civilization is Aborting, Buggering, and Contracepting itself out of existence.)

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